2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE vs 2025 Land Rover Defender

The 2025 Land Rover Defender presented a rugged and customizable design, with the Defender 110 four-door model striking a balance between the stubby 90 and the visually heavy 130. The Defender X trim, priced at $102,525, featured the Extended Black Exterior Pack and premium interior materials, enhancing its off-road capabilities. Despite its appealing ruggedness, the test vehicle's Gondwana Stone paint clashed with the orange brake calipers and delicate twin-spoke wheels, suggesting that colors like Pangea Green or Santorini Black might be better choices. Inside, the Defender X boasted premium Windsor hides and Kvadrat fabric, maintaining an industrial theme with quality materials, though it wasn't a traditional luxury SUV.

In contrast, the 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE offered a more refined and luxurious appearance. The GLE 450 model, priced at $79,100, featured a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine with mild-hybrid technology. The Manufaktur Edition Package added exclusive paint, 21-inch wheels, and a Night Package with blacked-out trim, enhancing its visual appeal. While the GLE Coupe's design was praised for its swoopy roofline, the standard GLE's styling was considered bland. Inside, the GLE 450 impressed with its elegant cabin, featuring matte-finish wood, metallic accents, and sophisticated digital displays. The steering wheel's touch-sensing controls worked well, though fine-tuning stereo volume was challenging.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender's turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine, paired with a mild-hybrid system, delivered 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. It featured an eight-speed automatic transmission with Sport and manual shift modes, along with a standard all-wheel-drive system. The Defender 130 X accelerated to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds and had a maximum tow rating of 8,200 pounds. Its adaptive air suspension, hill descent control, and Terrain Response 2 driving modes made it highly capable off-road. However, on-road performance was less inspiring, with a heavy curb weight and slow steering. The Defender's observed fuel economy was 16.2 mpg, below the expected 19 mpg.

The 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450's turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine, also with mild-hybrid technology, produced 375 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. It featured a nine-speed automatic transmission and offered Eco, Comfort, Sport, Off-Road, and Individual driving modes. The GLE 450 had a towing capacity of 7,700 pounds and included off-road features like Downhill Speed Regulation and a "transparent hood" camera view. However, its standard suspension allowed excessive body motion, affecting city and mountain road performance. The GLE's steering felt numb, and the brakes were grabby in typical driving situations. Despite these issues, it achieved a combined fuel economy of 21 mpg.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender 130 offered three rows of spacious seating, with 12-way power-adjustable front seats featuring heating and ventilation. The panoramic sunroof and large windows created an open and airy feel. However, the side mirrors seemed undersized, and the rear view was limited. The Defender's cargo space was limited, with 15.3 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 89 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. The side-hinged cargo door was heavy and awkward, though a button allowed lowering the air suspension for easier loading.

The 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE's front seats were firm yet comfortable, with heating and "energizing seat kinetics" to reduce fatigue. The back seat was roomy but positioned low relative to the window sills. A third-row seat was an expensive option, adding two extra chairs with USB-C charging ports. The GLE offered 33.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seat, expanding to 74.9 cubic feet with the seats folded. The cargo area included a netted compartment, robust hooks, and a large spare tire under the load floor.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender featured the Pivi Pro infotainment system with an 11.4-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The system's response to voice commands was improved, though it struggled with specific requests. The Defender's Meridian premium sound system impressed, and additional features included a head-up display, ClearSight digital rearview mirror, and a surround-view camera system. The Towing Pack added a hands-free trailer reverse-steering system.

The 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE's MBUX infotainment system ran on dual 12.3-inch displays, offering lush graphics and a biometric authentication system. The Exclusive Package added a Burmester surround-sound audio system and augmented-reality video for navigation. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, along with SiriusXM satellite radio and Mercedes Digital Extras. The system's digital voice assistant performed well, though it struggled with hospital requests.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender came equipped with several driver aids, including automatic high-beam headlights, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality. The lane-keep assist was decisive, though it occasionally attempted to steer the Defender into a turnout area. Crash-test ratings were unavailable at the time of writing.

The 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE's standard safety tech included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, and Pre-Safe Sound. The Driver Assistance Package added adaptive cruise control, lane-keep and centering assist, and Active Emergency Stop Assist. However, the route-based speed-adjustment feature was a source of frustration. The GLE earned a "Top Safety Pick+" from the IIHS, but NHTSA ratings were unavailable.